Tuku Music

There’s a strong sense of joy that runs through Tuku Music, carried by Oliver Mtukudzi’s sweet, plucked guitar playing (Mtukudzi said that he taught himself the guitar by playing it like an mbira) and the interplay between his earthy voice and the ethereal chorus of female voices. However the album addresses some tough themes,examining the harsh realities of life in Zimbabwe. With lyrics in Shona, Ndebele, and English, the beautifully enveloping “Todii” is a tender and sensitive song about the HIV/AIDS epidemic, urging leaders to take action and people to have empathy, while “Dzoka Uyamwe” looks at changing social and economic landscape in Zimbabwe, which forced thousands of people to leave the tranquility of the countryside to look for work in the city. But despite the bleak subject matters, Tuku Music leaves you with feelings of warmth, compassion, and hope.